Before the start of last postseason, the Rangers had never won a playoff series. In three playoff appearances, they were knocked out in the first round each time by the New York Yankees.
After dispatching the Tampa Bay Rays in five games in the ALDS, the Rangers defeated the Yankees in six games to win the pennant.
Josh Hamilton won the AL MVP, Neftali Feliz won the AL Rookie of the Year and Cliff Lee was a postseason hero.
But now Lee is gone, so we’ll see if the Rangers can get enough from their pitching staff to once again take the AL West crown.
Throughout this article, you will see a number between seven and ten beside each player. These numbers break the players up into essential categories; here’s a rough layout.
10: Best player/pitcher in baseball
9-plus: Superstar, MVP/Cy Young Candidates
8-plus: Consistent All-Star
7.5: Periodical All-Star
7.25: Solid Starter
7: Average Player